"This is how it started before October 7": Harsh reactions in the Gaza envelope to kites from Gaza
Residents in the communities claim there is no response from the IDF and a lack of detection capabilities for drones and kites. "We demand to nip this phenomenon in the bud," stated a message from Kibbutz Nahal Oz.
Harsh reactions in the Gaza envelope communities following the fourth instance within 24 hours of kites launched from Gaza landing in their territory. Although these are not kites carrying explosives, residents see this as a sign of the return of the containment policy that existed before October 7.
A., director of the security department of a regional council in the envelope, called to stop treating the incidents as isolated phenomena:
"We sent a letter to security officials about half a year ago and did not receive a response. The IDF continues as usual, the incident is under control. But one must understand, there are doubts among senior IDF officials regarding the aerial dimension, which includes, among other things, drones and kites. The absurdity is that now they are upgrading camera technology in kibbutzim adjacent to the fence, without the ability to detect and locate the aerial dimension of drones and kites. This could create a danger to the residents."
A message from Kibbutz Nahal Oz stated:
"We view with severity the phenomenon of kites returning to us again; this is how it started before October 7. At first, seemingly innocent kites were sent from the Strip, with writing in Arabic; later, when Hamas realized that the kites were falling in our fields, they attached incendiary materials to them, and thus thousands of dunams of wheat fields were burned. The continuation was explosive balloons intended to harm the citizens of the communities, and we saw how it ended. We demand from the security forces to nip the kite phenomenon in the bud. We will not accept a policy of containment regarding our security."
The head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, Uri Epstein, wrote:
"This is no longer a single kite or a localized incident. The security establishment must connect the events, understand who is behind them and what their goal is, and act accordingly. After October 7, the days when residents of the envelope were told 'it's just a kite' are over. We demand answers, action, and full transparency. Without transparency and trust, it is impossible to rebuild the security of the residents."
In recent months, additional cases of kites have been identified in the envelope areas. All incidents examined so far did not include explosives, but security officials note that this is a phenomenon that is being monitored.
